COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court says the number of new mortgage foreclosures in the state was down in 2012 for the third consecutive year.

The court said Thursday that the 70,469 new foreclosure filings in common pleas courts last year were about 1,000 fewer than during the previous year. That's about a 1.5-percent drop.

The court began tracking foreclosures in 1990, and the number rose for 14 consecutive years through 2009, which saw a high of more than 89,000.

Statistics show the number dropped in 2011 to 71,553, from 85,483 in 2010.

The court reported that 52 Ohio counties reported fewer foreclosures last year, 35 counties reported more, and one county reported the same number. Twenty counties had double-digit decreases in their numbers.